
README: Global Dominant Party Systems (GDPS) Dataset
Author: Boris Lipovina
Version: 1.0
Last Updated: July 2025

Introduction

The Global Dominant Party Systems (GDPS) Dataset provides comprehensive data on 187 cases of executive dominance across 106 independent countries, covering the period from 1900 to 2024. It is the first easily accessible complex dataset dedicated to dominant party systems (DPS), enabling researchers to explore patterns of one-party dominance, party system change, regime characteristics, and the impact of prolonged executive rule on democracy.

Variables include indicators on regime type, electoral and political system types, voter turnout, corruption, democracy, GDP growth, ethnic and opposition fragmentation, and more.

With the included country codes, the GDPS Dataset is also connected with major databases such as V-Dem, V-Party, PartyFacts, LIED, IDEA, and the World Bank.

Included Files

1. gdps.csv

Description:

The full GDPS dataset in CSV format. Each row represents a case of a dominant party system in an independent country, accompanied by the data on its party system, political system, and socio-economic characteristics, structured according to the theoretical model of dominant party system evolution presented in the research note.

2. gdps_labeled.rds

Description:

The full GDPS dataset in R format (.rds) with variable labels already applied. This can make orientation through the dataset much easier since the short descriptions will appear immediately below the variable/indicator name. 
Note: This is the file used to create the table with descriptive statistics of the dataset which is located in the supplementary materials section of the published research note.

3. gdps_codebook.pdf

Description:

A detailed codebook that documents all variables in the dataset and groups them according to the proposed phases of DPS evolution. It includes:

• Short description of the dataset structure
• Variable definitions and coding
• Sources used (e.g., V-Dem, LIED, World Bank, PartyFacts, etc.)
• Structure of the dataset

This is the essential guide to understanding and working with the data.

4. gdps_case_selection.pdf

Description:

A supplementary document outlining the comparative works that inspired the data collection, criteria for case inclusion in the GDPS dataset, the sources used to identify new cases and the decisions made in complex cases (such as annulled elections and military interventions). It also lists the cases that were considered for inclusion but eventually excluded, along with justifications. These detailed explanations can inspire future research in the field, which can show how excluding or including certain cases or time periods can potentially affect the results of the empirical analysis. Together with the codebook, the case selection document aims to ensure full transparency regarding the construction of the dataset and the operationalisation of executive dominance.

5. gdps_plots.R

Description:

An annotated R script used to generate the four plots included in the research article associated with this dataset:

• Plot A: Outcomes of party system change (1900-2024)
• Plot B: Regional distribution of dominant party systems per political system type
• Plot C: Longevity of dominant parties (in months)
• Plot D: Party system change outcome trends over time

The script relies on ggplot2 and is optimised for reproducibility (the comments guide users throughout the script so they are aware of how the results were produced). Users can adapt this code to visualise their own variables of interest from the dataset.